Food Journal

Last, but absolutely not Least in our Series of Things to Do in Port Vila is COOK.

Vanuatu is blessed with stunning beaches and verdant jungle, which make the destination popular with adventure travellers.

But Vanuatu is also popular because of the rich culture and history of the Ni-Van people. Vanuatu has repeatedly been named the happiest place on earth, and part of this happiness must come from their love of food!

“People who love to eat are always the best people”

– Julia Child

If you are looking for things to do in Port Vila and you want to do something a little different to the standard tourist options and you are a Food Lover, then this experience is for you!

Things to Do in Port Vila with Go By Sea:

COOK EXPERIENCE

Away from the Crowds

We will whisk you away from Port Vila; enjoy a 45-minute drive through rural Vanuatu to reach the cooking school. Your destination is a local village restaurant built directly on the sand of a stunning secluded Bay. You will ease into the day with a fresh lime juice as you take in the serenity and beauty of the location. Cooking and eating is all done with the back-drop of the ocean and the sound of the waves to accompany you.

Warm Welcome

The Restaurant that is home to your cooking school is run entirely by a local family that live in the adjacent village. You will be welcomed as one of the family for the day, and as you cook together you will learn a little about life in Vanuatu. Smiles and laughter are an important part of Ni-Van culture so get ready to join in.

Every family member plays an important role in the business, and your visit helps to provide employment opportunities for the village.

Spend the Day with a Local Chef

You get to spend time with a local Chef and Assistants, learning about the techniques and traditional foods of Vanuatu. All the food here is produced from scratch and by hand, without the powered tools that we take for granted! You can roll up your sleeves and join in the cutting, grating, mixing and folding that goes into the preparation of your lunch. Ask questions, watch as the chef shows you how, then have a go and you might learn a new technique that you can try when you are back home.

Go Coconuts

The Coconut Tree is an important plant in Vanuatu life. It is often called the “Tree of a Thousand Uses”, and during your experience you will find out why!

Today your Coconut Milk will not come from a can! You can learn how to open a coconut and turn the flesh into coconut milk, and while you are cooking the local ladies will be weaving the leaves into all sorts of useful (or fun) objects.

Fresh Local Produce

Think Coconut, Seafood, local Vegetables – watch them transformed from the source to the plate!

You can reach out and touch the Coconut Palms & Pawpaw Trees that your lunch is being prepared from. Fish is delivered direct from the local fisherman, so you will be eating the best catch of the day. The vegetables are grown in the village garden, tended to by the villagers and harvested at their peak. You will be preparing and eating as the locals do, from what the land and sea provide.

Enjoy the Fruits of your Labour

Once lunch is prepared, sit down to a leisurely buffet of delicious, fresh local produce.

The dishes that you have created turn your lunch into a true Vanuatu Feast, and Chef will also surprise you with a tasty dessert if you can fit any more in!

The restaurant has a licensed bar so feel free to purchase your favourite tipple to take lunch to the next level.

Perfect for Groups

Our COOK experience is a great day out even if you don’t want to cook!

Those in your group who want to be involved in the cooking class will do so while the others can sit back and enjoy the stunning location and mingle with the village family while they weave and shuck coconuts!

Your whole group will enjoy the wonderful lunch together, and then if you can muster the energy you can choose to walk on the beach or go for a dip in the inviting waters of the bay.

What Will I need?

All you need to enjoy this experience is a sense of fun and a love of food!

Bring along your togs, sunscreen and reef-shoes if you want to go swimming or walking after lunch.

Cash or credit card are accepted for extra bar purchases.

Your guide will collect you and drop you back at the Cruise-ship, with a stop at the duty-free on the way back if you request it.

Why We Love it

This is an intimate and engaging experience, where you will be welcomed like family and depart with the warm feeling that good food and good company can only produce.

We think that one of the best ways to learn about a country is to learn about it’s food. Our COOK experience is the perfect opportunity to do both.

If you love cooking and love food, you get to spend the day surrounded by your favourite things in a location that is one of the best kept secrets of Port Vila.